trans•atlantic petals:amsterdam fine style

The cool daytime temps in beautiful Amsterdam continue to dip with the sun.

This means that my tricky afternoon turned into an emergency evening.

It was time to bundle a bit. I stopped into the H&M: Dam Square and purchased a pair of sturdy brown boots, a couple of cardigans + some knee-highs.

This combination of staples actually sustained me through most of our trip ~ it certainly made a lot more of my items feasible via layering.

This new striped cardigan of I picked up flaunted it's camel colored elbow patches and it was a no brainer.

These boots literally saved our trip. There's no better way to say it.

I made a pretty blatant rookie mistake that I was well aware of & I know better than, and I ended up taking a risk and getting a wonderful pair of boots by the magic of fate.

So I'm not sorry that I made this decision.

dress: Forever21, cardigan, boots & knee highs: H&M, leggings: Target.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals: i amsterdam packing mistakes

•Wise decisions I made on this trip;

1. Deciding to try to see things even if they might be closed.

2. Carrying this rain jacket with me at all times.

•Poor decisions I made on this trip:

1. Not checking to see if things might be closed...

2. ...while walking long distances to them in flip-flops.

Probably the two most important things to have with you on a trip to Europe are a positive attitude & a sturdy pair of walking shoes. I overlooked the latter. I checked the weather in Amsterdam & London every day/3 months leading up to our trip. It turns out that the 2 cities have very similar climates as each other as well as to Duluth.

So I packed a bunch of stuff that I would wear in my location during the current season. What I did not anticipate was that the weather {in all 3 cities} would shift and become very cool & rainy for days on end.

I did pack my new wonderful rain jacket that I got for FREE with Amazon credit - suckahs.

But I did not pack (or dress) warm enough on my first afternoon. Amsterdam has many broken, cobblestone sidewalks with sharp curbs, tram tracks & puddles.

My feet were cracked, swollen, muddy & freezing by 4:00pm {and I nearly snapped my ankle about a dozen times}.

It was time to {cautiously} march myself into a solution.

{A little over exposure and some red toenail polish really gives the illusion that my toes weren't actually bright purple & quaking.}

dress, earrings & headband: Forever21, cardigan, scarf & leggings: Target, flip flops: Old Navy

photos by Peanut.

Oh, Blogger, Where Art Thou?

I've been basking in every moment of alone time I've been able to steal with my dear husband who is venturing out for a big adventure and very soon. The blog has taken on some inevitable neglect in the wake of this. Naturally.

I wore this dress recently when we attended my stepsister's wedding at a vineyard & winery {photos to follow}. It was $20 at a little vendor stand during Sidewalk Days. Her tent had no name. She was just a quiet woman with lovely, affordable dresses. Magical.

The wedding color was purple, so it was fun to have something breezy to match. I did do quite a bit of surveying about the questionable tact of wearing white to a wedding. It's a a largely outdated notion, according to my sources. So, I wore it happily. What do you all think about dress rules for wedding attendees? Is this a polarizing issue?

I got to have him with me on this pretty day.

ps: I colored my hair red{ish-goldish}.

dress: the mysterious vendor, cardigan: Merona, belt: Charlotte Russe, earrings: Forever21, sandal wedges: Attention, nail polish: Sally Hansen Salon Series ~ Thinking of Blue.

photos by Peanut.

Take From Me My Lace

Everybody|Everywear {lace}

This month's EBEW invitation is lace. I don't wear much lace {though I adore the antiquated appeal of it}. Fun fact; my wedding dress contained not a stitch of lace, in favor of gauze.

Whether white & crisp or black & slinky, it's tough to deny that lace balances young, doll-like qualities in masterful measure with elegance & wisdom.

I met this challenge by creating a faux bib on this sundress, layering a full lace blouse beneath it.

dress & earrings: Forever21, lace turtleneck: United Colors of Benetton, cardigan & boots: Target, tights: Gap, nail polish: China Glaze ~ Flyin' High.

photos by Peanut.

The Day I Became a Godmother

On Sunday, our lil nephew nugget was dedicated and we became his Godparents. It was a gorgeous, perfect day. A few sweet moments are sure to follow in a not-too-distant-future post.

dress: Vera Wang {thrifted ~ $15!}, cardigan: Merona, heels: Bongo, necklace: Two&Co., earrings: The Electric Fetus {gift}, nail polish: China Glaze ~ Flyin' High.

photos by Peanut.

Bruiser

I am sporting all the technocolors of a bruise. Black, blue, purple, green, floral print.

I love this bubble dress. It's well-made and reminds me of my youth. If only my tresses were long enough for a crimped side-pony.

Also, I never want this pretty green grass to end. We're in love.

dress: Charlotte Russe, cardigan, boots & tights: Target, cami: Old Navy, necklace: Two & Company.

photos by Peanut.

A Serious Woman

I feel very serious in this dress.

It's deep navy color & structured line is much more earnest and architectural than my typical choices. But when I saw it on the rack, the pleated shoulder seam caught my attention and eventually I decided that the sweetheart faux-neckline was such an effective balance of modest and tart that I simply couldn't pass it up.

{Bonus: it was $13.}

All perfection aside, I simply couldn't ignore the opportunity for a little whimsy-contrast. These shiny yellow ballet flats are from a tiny pink shoppe in Milan, Italy called Lolita. I got them last summer on a trip there. They are comfy & fun {+ these bad boys were only $10 USD}. This sweet headband was a gift from my wonderful, fabulous friend Ilsa. Thank you soooo much again, love!

dress: Charlotte Russe, cardigan & tights: Gap, headband: gift, yellow flats: Lolita Milano

photos by Peanut.

Plum-Crazy, Mint-Condition Lemonade

T'n G it's F up in here.

What you can't see in these photos is the glisten of dew upon my forehead after spending 30+ minutes looking for the camera. Rob takes these photos on a Canon T2i, which he uses for lots of important things beyond blog photos. It's sort of his baby.

No, I'm not his baby. I do go by several monikers, but that camera is his B-A-B-Y. So it goes without saying that when we {I} found it where we {he} left it, it only added further glee to the weekend's beginning.

This color combination gave me a moment's pause. But only a moment. When I'm not sure if I like a palette, I ask myself what I look like {khaki + yellow=banana cream/brown+green=a tree}. When I decided that I looked like plum-crazy, mint-condition lemonade, I was cool with it.

Happy Weekend!

dress: decree, cardigan, belt & boots: Target, tights: We Love Colors, earrings: handmade by Adeline, nail polish: Essie ~ It's nice in Nice.

photos by Peanut.

When Brown Comes to Town {+ I Smile}

Usually, when I think of shades of brown, I think autumn. However, I have recently developed an affinity for earthy neautrals with simple splashes of spring colors; pastel, citrus or brights. Deep down, I'd mix bolds + bolds 'til my dying day {I write this in a tie-dyed sweatshirt & polka dotted blue comfy pants}, but I'm really starting to appreciate the fresh effect of a lighter touch. And I have fellow style bloggers to thank for the inspiration.

I am also participating {for the 1st time} in Jessica's I Smile Wednesdays. I haven't quite landed on a format yet, so for this week I'll wing it...

The mid-week premise over at Monster Cakes is to revisit your big & small smiley moments and share them.

Here are mine.

I smile...

* after an amazing weekend @ the 1920's-themed gala last weekend & all the fun and connections it brought us.

* because of a celebration dinner with Peanut on Monday {for what, you ask? stay tuned :0) }

* during cuddle time with my favorite furry friend {Mazel}, during this rainy afternoon/evening

* because of this scarf, which makes me glow {figuratively and literally ~ very reflective sequins}

*at these sweet blue buds poking up in the backyard ~ reminding me that spring is planting it's feet and it's flowers!

dress: Mata Traders, cardigan, scarf & earrings: Charlotte Russe, tights: gift, shoes: Rocket Dog, nail polish: China Glaze ~ Flyin' High.

photos by Peanut.